Vitalis Takawira Jr Leads Team To Great Lakes Championship Glory
Zimbabwe Warriors legend Vitalis ‘digital’ Takawira ’s eldest son Vitalis Junior is looking to forge a similar path, having led his team Muskegon Risers to USA National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) Great Lakes Championship on Thursday in their first season in the league.
Vitalis Jr who turns 23 today, scored all the two goals as his side beat FC Columbus 2-0 to lift the Championship and a direct ticket to the the playoffs after an invincible season where they finished unbeaten in the league and drew only once in ten games.
Vitalis Jr an attacking midfieder like his father back in the old days, is already curving a name for himself at Muskegon after scoring 7 Goals In 9 matches in his first season with the team.
He is also the club’s joint top goal scorer alongside Guiseppe Barone who has seven goals in seven matches for the team.
Vitalis Jr who resembles his father in many ways including pace and dribbling skills, will be looking to emulate his father and uncle Claudias Zviripayi who were both very successful footballers during their time, although he still has a long way to go to match their achievements.
His father shot to prominance at an early age playing for Dynamos and Zimbabwe Warriors before securing a move overseas.
Takawira began his professional career at Dynamos when he was only 17 and went on to become the club’s top goal scorer for five seasons and won the Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League Golden Boot three times before moving to FC Winterthur in Switzerland.
At Winterthur, Takawira played 10 games and scored nine goals in a short stinct before moving to Kansas City Wizards in the MLS of the United States and had a great start, scoring in his first game of the team (the goal was the first goal for the Kansas City Wizards in the MLS).
He went on to make 110 appearances, scoring 29 goals, before he moved to the USL team Milwaukee Rampage in 2000. After a four year period with the team, 70 appearances and 39 goals, he moved to Milwaukee Wave united where he ended his career.
For Zimbabwe, Takawira played from 1992–1999 and scored 12 goals in 26 appearances. Some of these goals include the wonderful hat-trick against Cameroon.
Junior who was born in America began his career at Chicago Fire academy where he progressed through the age groups before he briefly moved to Sweden where he played for a division three team between 2018 -19.
He joined Muskegon in April 2022 from United Serbians and will be hoping to duplicate his league form in the playoffs.
Vitalis Jr is the eldest son in a family of four children – Farlen (29) and twin boys Nathan and Vincent, aged 13.
*Image credit to Muskegon FC media
